Friday, March 24, 2017

It's the Fruit; not the Foliage

They have these trees in Florida - they call them oak trees. But they can’t be oak trees, because their leaves are different.

It’s kind of strange. The so-called oak leaves, little bitty things, are falling off the trees now. And it’s not even Fall. They’re all messed up here. It probably has something to do with the Central Time Zone.

So I’m not sure why they call them ‘oaks’ when they look so different. But I did notice as I was walking along that there were acorns. Acorns! So, maybe they are oaks after all, with deformed leaves.

And it struck me that Jesus did not say, by their foliage you will know and recognize those who are God’s children,but by their fruit. And it struck me again that I am better at recognizing foliage than fruit.

So what is the fruit of a follower of Jesus? We should not expect that it would be something primarily material, but rather, spiritual; not something primarily outer, but inner.The fruit of the Spiritwould fit this description, which is a pretty good summary of the whole character of Christ. That’s the fruit that should be evident in the lives of believers both in the North and the South, the east and the west.

And what might be the foliage that grabs my attention at the expense of the fruit? If it’s the leaf on a tree, well, it can’t be the hair, can it? Who would get caught up using someone’s hair as an indicator of one’s standing and walk with God? It’s not the version of the Bible, nor the lingo of the prayer language, though the Bible and prayer are pretty basic for the Christian. It’s not the latest Christian book that you read, or the preacher that you prefer. Some are better than others, but then, some people actually read and listen to people they disagree with, both to strengthen their own positions, or perhaps even to learn about other people’s points of view. I find that I really like oak leaves. You know, the real ones. Though I find now that the other, little oak leaves are no less real. They’re not necessarily deformed. Just different.

Oh, there is such a thing as bad fruit. I’ve seen it, in myself. And in a world where the religious landscape is continually changing, and when religious convictions are increasingly contested, it would be good if we would learn to look for the fruit, not the foliage. Do you love the Lord Jesus? And are you becoming more like Him? Let’s learn from each other, and learn to love each other.

1 comment:

MaryAnn Curl
said...

Thank you, Steve. Great observation. In Texas we had live, scrub and post oaks that had very divergent foliage from the typical "oak". I was reminded of this distinction this week when I wanted to have others behave as I would. I wanted to SEE their loyalty. Fruit is primarily a matter of the heart, then actions may flow from the internal state. Their journey may not involve the proof I desire to see - can't assume. Let God be God.